Prie-dieu



June 9, 1936. W F L|5KA 2,043,669 Y PRIE DIEU Filed April l2, 1934 3Sheets-Sheet 1 Jne 9, 1936.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April l2, 1934 fica June 9, 1936. w- F. LlsKA250415,669

PRIE DIEU Filed April l2, 1934 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented June 9, 1936UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PRlE-DIEU William F. Liska, Chicago, Ill.,assignor to Holland Brass Works, Inc., Chicago, Ill., a corporation ofIllinois This invention relates to a prie dieu, and particularly to adevice of the character described,

which may be readily transported manually from place to place.

One object of the present invention is to provide a structure of thecharacter described, which is of suitable size and proportions when inuse, and which may be readily folded into a comparatively small space ofminimum dimensions for convenient handling and transporting or movingthe device from one place to another.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structure wherein allthe elements of the structure are permanently connected together andsuitably arranged to permit of their being positioned in operativerelationship and secured together to provide a safe and eflicient`structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structure wherein theelements comprised therein may be readily moved, with relation to eachother, into folded arrangement to provide a package of rela-tively smallsize of minimum dimensions for convenient handling in moving ortransporting the device from place to place.

Another object of the invention is to provide a structure whereinportions of certain of the elements are protected against damage fromcontact with each other when the device is in folded position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a structure wherein thevarious elements are so connected and capable of being so manipulatedthat upon releasing the securing means, the entire structure may bemoved into folded position by a single manual operation.

A still further object of the invention is to improve devices of thecharacter described in sundry details hereinafter referred to andparticularly pointed out in the appended claims.

One embodiment of the present invention is shown for illustrativepurposes in the accompanying drawings, in which i Fig. 1 is a front viewof my improved prie dieu illustrating features of the present invention;

Fig, 2 is a side elevational View of the illustrative embodiment of theinvention shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a front elevational Aview of my improved prie dieu shown infolded position;

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view of the device as shown in Fig. 3, alsoillustrating the parts in folded position; Y

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional elevational view taken substantiallyas indicated by the line 5-5 of Fig. 2; and illustrating fastening meansfor securing the device in set-up or open position;V

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary elevational view taken substantially asindicated by the line 6 6 of Fig. 2, and illustrating a type of springhinge employed to assist in the folding or collapsing of the device; and

Fig. '7 is a diagrammatic perspective view of the outline of the framemembers illustrating the position of the various parts of the device intheir movement to open or folded position.

The illustrative embodiment of the present invention, shown in thedrawings, comprises a pair of rearwardly inclined knee rests II, havingkneeling pads I2 suitably mounted thereon, and pivotally or hingedlyconnected adjacent their inner ends by means of hinges I3 to the upperend of a centrally disposed supporting bracket I4, the opposite or outerends of the knee rests II being hingedly or pivotally connected,preferably by means of hinges I5, to supporting side frames I6 adjacentthe forward edge thereof, the side frames I6 having supporting legs I'Iformed thereon and converging rearwardly from the knee rests II, theside frames I6 being pivotally or hingedly connected adjacent their rearedge portions to the outer ends of a pair of arm rests I8, theY pivotalcenter lines of which are arranged to extend substantially transverselyto the pivotal center line of the hinges I5, by means of hinges I9, thearm rests IB being shown, in the present instance, as provided,respectively, adjacent their upper edge portions with a pair of topplates 2l having pads 22 mounted thereon.

The adjacent inner ends of the arm rests I8 are pivotally and hingedlyconnected by means of hinges 23 and 24, the hinge 23 being of a suitablespring type, such, for example, as illustrated in Fig. 6, the spring 25of the hinges 23 having its respective ends engaged with lugs 26 formedon the respective plates 2l of the hinge 23, and being arranged tonormally urge the inner end portions of the arm rests I8 toward the kneerests II, or, in other words, toward the front portion of the device.

For securing the various elements of the device in substantially fixedrelation with respect to each other when the device is in set-up oroperative position, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, securing means ofsuitable construction, such, for example, as illustrated in Fig. 5, isprovided, the securing means being shown, in the present instance, asmounted on the under side of the top plates 2l and comprising a stop 2Bmounted on one of the plates 2| and adapted to be engaged by a latch 29pivotally-mounted at 3| to a bracket 32 secured to the other top plate2I, the latch 29 being provided, preferably, adjacent\one of its endswith a cam surface 33 adapted to engage the stop 28 in a manner tofacilitate a latching engagement with the stop and to be yieldingly heldin such engagement by a spring 34 operating between the opposite end ofthe latch 29 and the bracket 32, and adapted to be compressed whenpressure is exerted on the thumb piece 35 of the latch 2.9 for releasingit from the stop 28.

As clearly illustrated in Figs. l, 4 and 7, the respective arm rests I8are provided with recesses 36 formed in their inner adjacent endportions and adapted to receive a portion of the supporting bracket I4when the elements of the device are moved into folded position, asillustrated in Figs. 3 and 4.

It will be observed from the foregoing description that when the deviceis in set-up or operative position, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2,with the latch 29 in engagement with the stop 28, as shown in Fig. 5,the arm rests i8 will be held in substantial alignment and the Variouselements of the device are secured in fixed relation with respect toeach other, and that by releasing the latch 2S from the stop 28, thespring 25 of the hinge 23 will act to break the hinge joint at the innerends of the arm rest l 8 in a manner to move the arm rests out ofalignment with each other and move the inner ends thereof in a forwarddirection toward the knee rests l, whereupon a single manual operationtending to lift the central supporting bracket M will act to draw theside frames I6 toward each other and to further move the arm rests i8relatively to each other and with respect to the side frames I6 and kneerests H in a manner to move the elements of the entire structure intothe folded positions shown in Figs. 3 and 4, and that by slightly movingthe side frames i6 outwardly from the position shown in Fig. 3, andforcing the supporting bracket i4 downwardly the various elements of thedevice will move in an opposite direction through the position shown inFig. 7 and into the open or set-up position illustrated in Figs. 1 and`2, whereupon, the engagement or" the latch 29 with the stop 28 willmaintain the device in a safe and efcient operative position. l

Obviously, the present invention is not limited to the preciseconstruction and arrangement shown and described, as the same may bevariouslly modified. Moreover, all the features of the invention neednot be used conjointly, as the same may be used to advantage invariously different combinations and sub-combinations.

What I claim as new and desire to cover by Letters Patent, is:

1. A foldable device of the class described comprising, in combination,a pair of knee rests, a supporting bracket hinged to the inner ends ofsaid knee rests, a pair of arm rests hingedly connected adjacent theirinner ends, a pair of supporting side frames hingedly connected adjacenttheir top front and rear edge portions to said knee rests and arm rests,respectively, and means for securing said side frames, knee rests andarm rests in xed relation with respect to each other.

2. A foldable device of the class described comprising, in combination,a pair of knee rests adapted to be in substantial alignment with eachother in set-up position, a supporting bracket hinged to Vthe inner endsof said knee rests, a pair of arm rests hingedly connected adjacenttheir inner ends and adapted to be in substantial alignment with eachother in set-up position, a pair of supporting side frames hingedlyconnected adjacent their top front and rear edge portions to said kneerests and arm rests, respectively, and means for securing said sideframes, knee rests and arm rests in set-up position.

3. A foldable device of the class described comprising, in combination,a pair of relatively movable knee rests adapted to be in substantialalignment with each other in set-up position, a supporting brackethinged to the inner ends of said knee rests, a pair of relativelymovable arm rests hingedly connected adjacent their inner ends andadapted to be in substantial alignment with each other in set-upposition, a pair of relatively movable supporting side frames hingedlyconnected adjacent their top front and rear edge portions to said kneerests and arm rests, respectively, and cooperable means operativelyrelated, respectively, to relatively movable portions of the device forsecuring said side frames, knee rests and arm rests in set-up position.

4. A foldable device of the class described comprising, in combination,a pair of relatively movable knee rests adapted to be in substantialalignment with each other in set-up position, a supporting brackethinged to the inner ends of said knee rests, a pair of relativelymovable arm rests hingedly connected adjacent their inner ends andadapted to be in substantial alignment with each other in set-upposition, a pair of supporting side frames hingedly connected adjacenttheir top 'n front and rear edge portions to said knee rests and armrests, respectively, means for securing said side frames, knee rests andarm rests in set-up position, and means for moving said arm rests out ofalignment when said securing means is moved out of securing position.

5. A foldable device of the class described comprising, in combination,a pair of relatively movable knee rests adapted to be in substantialalignment with each other in set-up position, a supporting brackethinged to the inner ends of said knee rests, a pair of relativelymovable arm rests hingedly connected adjacent their inner ends andadapted to be in substantial alignment with each other in set-upposition, a pair of supporting side frames hingedly connected adjacenttheir top iront and rear edge portions to said knee rests and arm rests,respectively, cooperable means operatively related, respectively, tosaid arm rests for securing said side frames, knee rests and arm restsin set-up position, and resilient means operatively related to said armrests for automatically moving them out of alignment when saidcooperable means are disconnected from securing position.

6. A foldable device of the class described 'comprising in combination,a pair of relatively movable knee restsV adapted to be in substantialalignment with each other in set-up position, a supporting brackethinged to the inner ends of said knee rests, a pair of relativelymovable arm rests hingedly connected adjacent their inner ends andadapted to be in substantial alignment with each other in set-upposition, top plates on the respective arm rests, a pair of supportingside frames hingedly connected adjacent their top front and rear edgeportions to the outer ends of said knee rests and arm rests,respectively, cooperable means mounted, respectively, on said top platesfor securing said side frames, knee rests and arm rests in set-upposition, and resilient means operatively related to the respective armrests adjacent their inner ends for moving them out of alignment whensaid cooperable means are disconnected from securingy position, the

inner ends of said arm rests being movable toward said knee rests andsaid side frames being movable toward each other and toward said armrests as said supporting bracket is moved upwardly to move therelatively movable portions of the device into folded position, said armrests having recesses formed in their respective inner end portionsadapted to receive a portion of said supporting bracket when the deviceis folded.

7. A foldable prie dieu comprising, in combination, a pair of inclinedknee rests pivotally connected adjacent their inner ends, a pair ofrearwardly converging side frames whose top edges running rearwardlyextend generally upwardly pivotally connected, respectively, adjacenttheir top front edge portions to the respective outer ends of said kneerests along pivotal center lines extending substantially parallel to thetop edges of the front portions of said frames, a pair of arm restshingedly connected together adjacent their inner ends and pivotallyconnected adjacent their respective outer ends to the rear edge portionsof the respective side frames along pivotal center lines extendingsomewhat transversely tor the pivotal center lines of the pivotalconnections between said side frames and knee rests, and supportingmeans adjacent the inner ends of said knee rests.

8. A foldable prie dieu comprising, in combination, a pair of elongatedrearwardly inclined knee rests hingedly connected adjacent their innerends to fold upwardly, a pair of rearwardly converging side frames whosetop edges running rearwardly extend generally upwardly pivotallyconnected, respectively, adjacent their top front edge portions to therespective outer ends of said knee rests along pivotal center linesextending substantially parallel to the upwardly extending top edges ofthe front portions of said side frames, a pair of arm rests hingedlyconnected together adjacent their inner ends to fold inwardly andpivotally connected adjacent their respective outer ends to the rearedge portions of the respective side frames along pivotal center linesextending somewhat transversely to the pivotal center lines of thepivotal connections between said side frames and knee rests, andsupporting means adjacent the inner ends of said knee rests, said kneerests, side frames and arm rests being foldable into compact rectangulariorm.

9. A foldable prie dieu comprising, in combination, a knee rest offoldable sections, a pair of arm rests of hinged sections hingedlyconnected adjacent their inner ends and foldable inwardly toward saidknee rest, a pair of supportingside frames foldably connected adjacenttheir top front and rear edge portions to said knee rest and arm rests,respectively, and means for securing said side frames, knee rest and armrests in fixed relation with respect to each other.

10. A foldable prie dieu comprising, in combination, an elongated kneerest of hinged sections adapted to fold upwardly, a supporting brackethinged adjacent the central portion of said knee rest, a pair of armrests hingedly connected adjacent their inner ends and adapted to be insubstantial alignment with each other in set-up position and foldabletoward said knee rest to folded position, a pair of supporting sideframes whose top edges running rearwardly extend generally upwardlyhingedly connected adjacent their top front and rear edge portions tosaid knee rest and arm rests, respectively, and means' for securing saidside frames, knee rest and arm rests in setup position, said sideframes, knee rest and arm rests being foldable into compactsubstantially rectangular form.

11. A ioldable prie dieu comprising, in combination, a pair ofrelatively movable elongated knee rests pivotally connected togetheradjacent their inner ends and adapted to be positioned in substantialalignment with each other when the prie dieu is in set-up position, apair of supporting side frames pivotally connected relatively low andadjacent their forward portions to the outer ends of the respective kneerests, and a back providing an arm rest with the upper portion spacedupwardly and rearwardly from said knee rests to provide an open spacetherebetween, said side frames diverging from said back, and said armrest being pivotally connected adjacent its outer vertical edge portionsto the rear vertical edge portions of the respective side frames.

12. A foldable prie dieu of the kind described comprising a back, a pairof side frames pivotally connected to said back and diverging therefrom,a relatively low knee rest, hingedly divided into two sections andpivotally connected to the side frames, the outer ends of the knee restsections extending parallel to the top front edges of the side frames,the angles formed at the front edge of the knee rest and each endthereof being the supplement of the inner angle formed at the junctureof the back and each of said side frames, the latter angle being greaterthan degrees.

13. A foldable prie dieu of the kind described comprising a back, a pairof diverging side frames pivotally connected at their rear edges to saidback, an elongated knee rest hingedly divided intermediate the ends intosections, and pivotally and angularly connected to the side frames, theobtuse angle on the side frame between the front Vertical edge of thelatter and the top edge at which the knee rest is positioned being equalto the obtuse inner angle formed by the back and each side frame, andthe supplement of the angle formed by the front edge of the knee restand each end thereof.

WILLIAM F. LISKA.

